Has anyone else reached their weight goal and still been unhappy?

icypinkkisses

Hi there eveyone i'm looking for some help.. I'm just wondering if anyone else has reached their goal weight and found they still arent happy? I'm 5' 6 and started with a goal weight of 9 stone 10 lbs which was my pre pregnancy weight. However once i reached that i still wasnt happy so then changed it to 9 stone, im now nearly there and yet im still not really happy thanks to my tummy, i know after 2 c sections it will never look the same as it once did but im just really dissapointed that it still looks the same shape and quite fatty however im really happy with the rest of my body and dont want to over do it trying to lose something that may never go. I go to the gym 5 times a week on top of eating well so hoped it would help but it hasnt has anyone else had a similar experience? How do you know when enough is enough and you dont need to lose anymore? And what would people concider a healthy weight for a person of my height? Nhs bmi calculator said a minimum of 8 stone 4lb is healthy but not sure if going into the 8 stone margin is a good idea as its the very bottom of the 'healthy weight range' for my height, please help!

gabrielleelliott90

To be honest, when you are that tall, you don't need to be at such a low weight. They tend to be more for short people.

knitapeace

Sounds like it's not the actual number that is making you unhappy, but your body shape. Many people find that strength training gives them the body composition they were hoping for regardless of what the scale says. Try adding some kind of strength training to your exercise routine and see how you feel in 3 months.

icypinkkisses

Thats what i thought but it did take my height and age into account too so its really confused me, i havent weighed in the 8 stone margin since i was 14 and to be honest im not sure it would be healthy atall, but on the flip side im still unhappy at the weight i am because of how my tummy looks, just dont know what to do

icypinkkisses

What sort of strength training would you recommend? I use the treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical machine and static bikes at the gym but i know they are classed as cardio not strength. Its just so dis-heartening after working so hard to lose 4 stone but feeling the same way as i did before i started

deksgrl

Strength training. When you diet (especially if you diet aggressively with low calorie goals) you will reduce weight, but you also reduce Lean Body Mass (LBM) i.e. muscle. So when you get to your goal weight, you still have a relatively high percentage of body fat. Eat at maintenance, get plenty of protein, and do strength training 3x per week. Reduce your cardio to 30 minutes a day.

tulips_and_tea

Do you do planks? If not, start. Or start doing more, regular and side planks. Also, there's a series of standing ab exercises that target all sides of the torso. Sorry, I don't have an actual link, but just do a Google search.

The # on the scale isn't necessarily the issue, as someone else has already pointed out. Focus on losing body fat, if possible. Have you had yours measured?

icypinkkisses

So basicly i could have more body fat than i used to at a low weight because i've lost muscle too? I've never looked at it that way before that seems to make sense when i change my goal on mfp to maintain though it still gives me a 1200 goal? Is that just a glitch with my app? Or is it low because i've lost so much weight that i need alot less to maintain? So confused what sort of strength training would you recommend?

deksgrl

BZAH10 wrote: »

Do you do planks? If not, start. Or start doing more, regular and side planks. Also, there's a series of standing ab exercises that target all sides of the torso. Sorry, I don't have an actual link, but just do a Google search.

The # on the scale isn't necessarily the issue, as someone else has already pointed out. Focus on losing body fat, if possible. Have you had yours measured?

You can't spot reduce fat just on the tummy. Doing specific tummy exercises will only strengthen the muscles, but you won't see them until you burn the fat. You have to have an all over fat loss approach. Unfortunately for some of us, the tummy is the last place the fat comes off.

icypinkkisses

Ok i will have a look on google thankyou no ive never had my body fat measured as I dont ever go to the doctors and dont know where else i could go to have this done? Is there a way of measuring it at home?

I_Will_End_You

icypinkkisses wrote: »

What sort of strength training would you recommend? I use the treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical machine and static bikes at the gym but i know they are classed as cardio not strength. Its just so dis-heartening after working so hard to lose 4 stone but feeling the same way as i did before i started

Compound lifts. Check out a beginners program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting.

knitapeace

I have done several things for strength training. Many, many people here will recommend heavy lifting and programs such as Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women, or Stronglifts 5x5 are often mentioned as good beginning points. Since you have a gym membership that might work well for you.

I personally have had great success with bodyweight strength training using books by Mark Lauren: You Are Your Own Gym, and Body By You (which is aimed at women specifically). Recently I started an 8 week program by the people at Fitness Blender which is at-home video workouts 5 to 6 days a week incorporating strength and cardio. You need some kind of resistance such as weights or kettlebells, but you can improvise with something like water bottles or a bag of heavy books, depending on the exercise.

jrline

once you hit your goal weight you may have to tone that is what I have been working on for the last 6 months

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Yes, when I got to my goal weight I was still unhappy. I took a two-pronged approach. First, I started lifting. I'm 100% happier with my body now due to the change in body composition. While remaining the same weight I've gradually gone from 24% body fat to about 18%. Second, I started working on body acceptance and positive self-talk. Because lifting helps but it isn't magic. It can't change things like me having a large rib cage.

Look into Starting Strength if you have a gym membership. If not, look up You Are Your Own Gym-- that one is bodyweight and you can do it at home.

DawnieB1977

You can have it measured at the gym by those calliper things, but I don't know how accurate they are.

I'd agree with doing some strength training. I lost 66lbs after my 2nd baby and did lots of strength training, and I ended up 11 stone and a UK size 10/12. I'm the same height as you. Unfortunately I gained again in my third pregnancy and am losing weight again. I do lots of strength training again and I think if I get back to 11 stone i will be smaller than I was.

I haven't ever had a c-section so I don't know how that affects things. I'm sure your stomach will eventually go back to normal.

ana3067

I felt unhappy when I reached 145ish lbs 4 years ago. I have a picture or two on my profile pics if you want to see how I looked at that weight. But I had a flabby stomach and was still squishy in places I didn't want to be. I'd estimate I was in the mid to high 20s for bodyfat because there was really no muscular definition at all. But I also didn't strength train properly and never tracked calories, so I never intentionally bulked up. I did bulk up unintentionally but it was a lot of fat as well as some muscle lol.

knitapeace

Looks like several of us were posting at the same time...notice the similarities in responses? :P Lots of GREAT advice here for you. Good luck!

ruffnstuff

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

icypinkkisses wrote: »

What sort of strength training would you recommend? I use the treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical machine and static bikes at the gym but i know they are classed as cardio not strength. Its just so dis-heartening after working so hard to lose 4 stone but feeling the same way as i did before i started

Compound lifts. Check out a beginners program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting.

^^^ THIS!! I cannot sing the praises of strength training enough. I've lost about 85 lbs and have been strength training for most of the time while losing. I have no doubt that it made a huge difference in my body comp. I am quite happy with how I look overall and I'm not even to goal yet! When I was much heavier, I started with body weight stuff, then progressed to Stronglifts 5x5, now continue to do compound lifts and extras with free weights. My weight loss has slowed a lot as I am nearing goal, but my sizes keep dropping thanks to heavy lifting.

icypinkkisses

Thanks guys theres some really brilliant advice from you all! I cant understand why my gym instructor didnt tell me to strength train aswell when he did my induction because it sounds exactly what i need! I have got dumbells (not sure if thats how its spelt lol) and i do have the mark lauren book too but cant seem to get motivated to do things at home like i do in the gym so will have a word with some of the gym instructors n ask them to help get me started thanks so much for your help everyone its nice to know im not alone and that there are things i can do to imrpove it without losing any more weight looks like im about to start my maintanace journey 1 more question if i may.. is 1200 right to maintain or is my mfp app having an error? Because thats what I've been eating to lose but when i click maintain my calories dont change?

deksgrl

icypinkkisses wrote: »

Thanks guys theres some really brilliant advice from you all! I cant understand why my gym instructor didnt tell me to strength train aswell when he did my induction because it sounds exactly what i need! I have got dumbells (not sure if thats how its spelt lol) and i do have the mark lauren book too but cant seem to get motivated to do things at home like i do in the gym so will have a word with some of the gym instructors n ask them to help get me started thanks so much for your help everyone its nice to know im not alone and that there are things i can do to imrpove it without losing any more weight looks like im about to start my maintanace journey 1 more question if i may.. is 1200 right to maintain or is my mfp app having an error? Because thats what I've been eating to lose but when i click maintain my calories dont change?

Use this calculator, set it to "gain muscle, lose fat"
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Set MFP manually to this amount, then either do not log exercise, or put exercise in as "1 calorie" when you log it so it doesn't change your calories for the day.

Many gym instructors are just as prone to myths about women lifting as the general population. Don't be surprised if they don't exactly encourage it. You may have to push a little to get what you want.

I_Will_End_You

icypinkkisses wrote: »

1 more question if i may.. is 1200 right to maintain or is my mfp app having an error? Because thats what I've been eating to lose but when i click maintain my calories dont change?

No, something is off there. You might want to recheck your entries and make sure you have everything entered correctly. 1200 is not a number for maintenance calories.

RosaileenB

Yes, Strength training is the way to go - if your gym instructor didn't point you to strength training then you should fire them (if you are paying for them). Any decent trainer would have you do some form of strength training throughout your workout.

stealthq

Definitely 1200 cals is wrong.

I'm 5'3" and 116 lbs and if I were sedentary and didn't exercise I'd maintain on about 1450 cals. You will need a fair bit more, especially considering you exercise.

Oh, and +1 for strength training. Personally, were I you, I'd continue on a slight deficit and lift.

The reason you're happy with the rest of your body is that you've lost most of the fat up to this point from those areas. Now that they have relatively little fat, you will likely see a greater percentage of every pound lost come off of your 'stubborn' areas, which obviously includes your tummy. If you get too lean for your taste, no problem. Just eat a slight surplus and keep lifting

ana3067

icypinkkisses wrote: »

Thanks guys theres some really brilliant advice from you all! I cant understand why my gym instructor didnt tell me to strength train aswell when he did my induction because it sounds exactly what i need! I have got dumbells (not sure if thats how its spelt lol) and i do have the mark lauren book too but cant seem to get motivated to do things at home like i do in the gym so will have a word with some of the gym instructors n ask them to help get me started thanks so much for your help everyone its nice to know im not alone and that there are things i can do to imrpove it without losing any more weight looks like im about to start my maintanace journey 1 more question if i may.. is 1200 right to maintain or is my mfp app having an error? Because thats what I've been eating to lose but when i click maintain my calories dont change?

Most people assume cardio (or exercise in general) is done for weight loss. And unfortunately, most women are the ones running on treadmills for 2 hours every day trying to lose weight. IT's ALL about calorie deficit for losses, but strength training and proper diet (enough protein - I do 1.2x my lean body mass for gram intake; having a small to moderate deficit - 10-20% from maintenance) are essential for body composition.

deksgrl

ana3067 wrote: »

icypinkkisses wrote: »

Thanks guys theres some really brilliant advice from you all! I cant understand why my gym instructor didnt tell me to strength train aswell when he did my induction because it sounds exactly what i need! I have got dumbells (not sure if thats how its spelt lol) and i do have the mark lauren book too but cant seem to get motivated to do things at home like i do in the gym so will have a word with some of the gym instructors n ask them to help get me started thanks so much for your help everyone its nice to know im not alone and that there are things i can do to imrpove it without losing any more weight looks like im about to start my maintanace journey 1 more question if i may.. is 1200 right to maintain or is my mfp app having an error? Because thats what I've been eating to lose but when i click maintain my calories dont change?

Most people assume cardio (or exercise in general) is done for weight loss. And unfortunately, most women are the ones running on treadmills for 2 hours every day trying to lose weight. IT's ALL about calorie deficit for losses, but strength training and proper diet (enough protein - I do 1.2x my lean body mass for gram intake; having a small to moderate deficit - 10-20% from maintenance) are essential for body composition.

At 5'6 and 126 pounds, she really doesn't need to lose any more weight and eat at a deficit.

Adc7225

I don't know when enough is enough - I have a goal of 144, I thought this would make me about a size 10/12, currently I am 148 and a size 2/4 and I am still trying to lose some weight off my thighs . . . the never ending cycle
I have recently started strength training because since I feel sort of small I think having some strength will make me feel better. I have New Rules of Lifting for Women and Strong Curves . . . both worth reading, and I agree some strength training would be beneficial and will help you feel better about you body.

icypinkkisses

Thanks for your help everyone i love it on here its a really nice, helpful, non-judgemental little community! Going to take all your comments on board and swap some of my cardio for strength training and start eating more protein feeling much more positive now i have a plan!

threnjen

I'm glad you've gotten such great advice re: lifting. Lifting heavy is definitely going to give you the results you are looking for!